Preparedness

Flood risk can be high after wildfires, leading to a secondary disaster. Sonoma County, Calif., installed a flood monitoring solution after the wildfires of 2017 to keep the communities from experiencing dangerous flooding.

An atmospheric river of rain is churning toward Northwest Washington with the intensity of an autumn storm, packing strong wind and heavy rain and leading to lowland flooding, road closures and scattered power outages.

More important than having a plan ahead of an emergency situation is the process of planning itself. During events, emergency managers should leave room for improvisation and adjusting to conditions as they unfold.

“If you’ve chosen not to wear a mask in indoor public places recently, now is a good time to start again. Highly contagious subvariants are spreading here. If you add layers of protection like a high quality mask, it reduces risk to you and the chance you’ll infect others."

One of the main things is have a weather radio. I keep mine next to my bed, so if there is a tornado warning in the middle of the night and you're sleeping, it will definitely wake you up and give you some time to get to your safe place.

What's the probability of a repeat of the 1811-1812 New Madrid quakes? The U.S. Geological Survey reports there is about a 10% chance of a 7.5 to 8 magnitude earthquake in the next 50 years.

New infusions of federal funding and other steps are among many local flood-preparedness efforts as the recovery from Hurricane Ida remains ongoing. But the patchwork of efforts in the Philadelphia region and beyond can't allay nerves about the looming hurricane season.

The next generation of emergency managers needs to be trained, educated, and certified in a similar manner to how we educate other public safety professionals, and communicate about many subjects, and manage millions of dollars.

Specifically, the private meteorological organization says there will be 16 to 20 named storms this summer, with six to eight strengthening into hurricanes and three to five becoming major storms.

According to both Howell and County Manager Greg Martin, the county has been running an advertisement for medics to man county ambulances, but it’s not getting responses. Howell stated he is currently short five full-time paramedics.

The county’s first combination fire and EMS department was officially established by commissioners in October 2020, and for the past 2 1/2 years, county staff has been working to help develop the department.

“There’s more going on now they have to worry about, and that includes social media, all the internet can bring and the stress and effects of the pandemic. We want to stop things before they get to middle school.”

Hospital managers say their staffs know what to do if there’s another hospitalization surge after two years of battling COVID-19, but the question is whether providers have the resources to get it done.

“Minority recruitment was always challenging but now it’s across the board. The problem is nationwide. I recently learned that a department from California will soon be coming all the way to Connecticut to attract new recruits out there.”

“We hold a mock disaster training exercise every few years to ensure the campus is prepared in the event of a real emergency. This year, we were able to include students in the exercise.”

The Southeast has a “greater risk for tornadoes,” null, so it’s important to have a plan for what you and your family will do to stay safe in the event of an emergency.

“Last summer we saw the devastating impacts of severe weather, from flooding to tornadoes and straight-line winds,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Taking steps to prepare now can protect your home, your family and your pets.”

Examples of eligible projects under new Swift Current monies include property acquisition and demolition, elevation and relocation, according to Criswell’s Federal Emergency Management Agency.